Like A Rock
by Ms Isabella
Summary: Sequel to They Don't Know. Jess has always been Hank's rock, and he hers. They're still adjusting to married life and all of the good and bad things that go with it. I hope Y'all like. Chapter 5 now up. As always, reviews, follows, and your thoughts are so appreciated! Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Like a Rock

 _Author's Note: Sequel to They Don't Know. Jess has always been Hank's rock, and he hers. They're still adjusting to married life and all of the good and bad things that go with it. I hope Y'all like._

Chapter 1

They stood at Justin's grave, staring at the tombstone. Jess bent down and placed flowers in front. She fussed with the grass, pulling the weeds. She glanced up at Hank. His eyes were closed. She knew he was fighting back tears and didn't want her to see them. She stood up and slipped her hand into his. He reached out and hugged her with his free arm.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear.

"You and Erin are all I have left," he sobbed.

"And we're not going anywhere. We're both here for you."

"Thank you, Jess."

He broke the embrace and wiped his eyes. Hand in hand, they walked back to the SUV.

"Hank, it doesn't have to be this way," she said softly.

He looked over at her. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

She nodded.

"What happened to our deal? We agreed on no kids."

"We did. But I've seen you with Justin and Daniel. You're a good Dad, Hank."

"I wasn't a good Dad. I was a lousy Dad. If I was a good Dad, Justin wouldn't have been so fucked up."

"Rebellion. He was doing well. The Army was good for him."

"It was. Until it wasn't."

He started the car. They left the cemetery and drove back to Jess' condo. Once inside, Hank headed for the living room with a beer. Jess busied herself making dinner.

She had decided on something simple and filling, and spaghetti filled that bill. It was simple comfort food, and they both needed that. As she waited for the water to boil, she worried about what she had admitted to Hank. She wasn't sure how he took her announcement. He hadn't said a word about it. She wasn't sure what his decision would be, but whatever it was, she would agree with him.

Hank entered the kitchen and walked over to the fridge. He pulled another beer from the top shelf. He walked over to the counter and topped off her wine glass. He shook his head in amusement. Whenever there was pasta being made, Jess always drank wine.

"Thank you for topping me off."

"Anytime."

He set the beer on the counter and walked over to her. He slid his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her neck. She leaned against him and closed her eyes. He slipped his arms from her waist and turned her around so she faced him. He reached out and turned off the stove. She gave him a questioning look.

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said at the cemetery."

She nodded, not saying anything. She knew he would continue when he was ready.

"You and Erin are all I have left. It's not enough, Jess. If I understood you correctly, you admitted you want to have a baby?"

She nodded. "Or two. I know we agreed on no kids, but that was right after we got married and after the shooting up at Loyola."

"And before Nicole got pregnant."

She sighed. She hated to admit it, but she was more than a tiny bit jealous that her Bestie had not only snagged a doctor, but got pregnant shortly after they got married. She adored her Goddaughter, and shortly after the christening, she started to wonder if she was missing out on something great.

"And before Nicole got pregnant. Plus, I got used to having Daniel around."

"He grows on you."

She nodded.

"Throw away your birth control, Jess."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jess' eyes widened in surprise. "You mean it?"

He nodded. "It's the least I can do. You've sacrificed so much being married to me, and I don't know why you did. I'm nothing special. It's not fair that you have to give up having a family too. I'm in if you're in."

"I'm all in."

He kissed her forehead, and stepped out from behind her. He picked up one of the plates she had set out and filled it.

"Go sit down, I'll bring this in."

She made her way to the table, and sat down. She sipped her wine and fussed with the tablecloth. She was trying so hard to tamp down her happiness. He carried two plates to the table setting one in front of her and one in front of his chair. He kissed her cheek. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Eat before it gets cold."

"Soon as I get the garlic bread and your wine bottle."

"Hank?"

"Jess?"

"No more wine. Coffee, please?"

Jess made her way into the kitchen and over to the coffee pot. Hank was at the table reading the paper and sipping his coffee.

"Morning," he said as she poured her mug full.

"Morning."

He smiled. He knew she wouldn't wake up till after her first mug. She'd find out his surprise soon enough.

She popped two pieces of bread into the toaster, then opened the fridge.

"Eggs okay?"

"Eggs are fine," he agreed.

She took out the carton and the package of bacon.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Never better. Why?"

"You were restless and you didn't sleep much."

He sipped his coffee. He never could put anything past her. She was like The Godfather—she knew too much, especially about him.

"Had some stuff on my mind."

She turned to face him.

"You changed your mind, didn't you?"

He looked at her as he set down his coffee mug.

"You think I would do that?"

"I've never known you to go back on your word and I've known you for seventeen years."

"I have not changed my mind, and I'm not going back on my word."

"Ok."

She figured it was work related, so she didn't press.

"I know you worry. It's all good."

She cracked the eggs into a pan and started another pan of bacon. The toast popped and she took it out of the toaster and put it on a plate. She added butter to both slices, and dropped in two more pieces. Turning around, she set the toast in front of him. She noticed an envelope on her plate. She looked at him. He raised his eyebrows.

"I'm cooking. I can't open it now."

"You don't have to. You can eat first."

She turned back to the eggs and bacon, wondering what was waiting for her in the envelope. It was obviously from him. He held so many secrets that she never knew what he was planning.

She flipped the eggs over and let them heat for a few seconds. He liked his yolks over medium. She liked hers over light. She loved dipping her toast into the runny yolk. He stood up and walked over to her, handing her both plates. She fixed his, and handed it back to him. He picked up the coffee pot and brought it back to the table. She fixed her plate and placed it on the table.

"Come sit down, Jess."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She set her plate down and looked over at him. He was watching her as he sipped his coffee.

"Open the envelope, Jess."

"If you insist."

She picked up the envelope, and opened it. Her eyes widened when she pulled the contents from the envelope and saw what it contained.

"Hank, how-" she stopped.

She knew he would never tell her how he had managed to pull off nearly the impossible. The impossible in her eyes, at least.

He got up from the table and walked over to her. He kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you. I know you aren't a Cubs fan."

"No but you are. I got my chance in 2005, Babe. Now it's your turn."

"But there's two tickets to all seven games. You're planning on going with me despite being a Sox fan?"

"I think I can suffer it out for you."

She stood up and threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Hank! You don't know what this means to me."

He smiled. He did know. She, like the rest of the North Side, had waited a lifetime and more to see the Cubs in the Series again.

"Want me to pick you up after your last class? We have a 14:45 out."

"Will that get us there in time?"

"Yes. We'll get in at 17:00. Game starts at 20:00."

"That's cutting it close for checking in and stuff."

"We check in, we go to the ballpark, and we have dinner there. All good."

She smiled. She had it all figured out. She knew it had taken him a lot of planning and execution to get this done, and he was doing it all for her.

"You've thought of everything."

"Pretty much. I have your bag packed too."

"Hank-"

"Just enjoy, Jess. We might not have another chance before the baby comes."

She nodded. "Or the Cubs might not make it again for another 108 years."

"No, it won't be that long. They have a young and hungry team. There will be more trips in the next few years."

"From your mouth to God's ears."

He smiled and gave her a kiss. "God and I have an understanding."

"That's between the two of you."

"Eat. You might not get another chance until we get to Cleveland."

He helped her into her seat, then walked over to the coffee pot and brought it over to the table. He poured them both fresh cups, then returned to her seat.

She looked down at the tickets and shook her head.

"Pinch me. I can't believe it."

"Believe it, Babe. We're going to the World Series."

"Henry James, as I live and breathe, I will never forget this. I still can't believe you were able to pull this off."

"It wasn't all that hard. Trust me."

"I do. I trust you with my life."

"Eat, Jess. You're going to be on your feet all morning, and then on a plane for part of the afternoon."

"I can't believe it. I'm actually going to see the World Series live."

"All seven games, Babe."

"This isn't real. It isn't."

He smiled. He loved making her happy. Obviously, he did.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Hey, are you ready for lunch?" Nicole called as she popped her head in to Jess' open office door. "I'm starving."

Jess looked up from her desk. "Yeah, come on in," she said.

Nicole entered Jess' office. "Are you okay? You don't look good, Jess."

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not. You're not yourself. Come on, dish. Are you having trouble with Hank?"

"No. We're fine. We're good."

"Something's bugging you," Nicole persisted.

Jess sighed. "You know that Hank somehow managed to get his hands on two tickets to all seven World Series games."

Nicole nodded.

"Well, let's just say we had one hell of a celebration when the Cubs won."

"You two and the whole city."

"Well, I did some math. And by my calculations, I should have gotten pregnant that night."

Nicole's mouth dropped open. She had no idea that Jess wanted to get pregnant. She had always said she had such a crappy role model for a mother, she couldn't be one. Now she was telling her that she was hoping to get pregnant. She sat down hard in Jess' guest chair. "You didn't tell me you wanted to have a baby."

Jess nodded. "We decided shortly after Justin died. Hank said it wasn't fair to me because I married a guy 20 years older than I am. Then Olive moved and took Daniel with her, and of course, Erin is off in New York. Good riddance."

"You never liked her."

"It wasn't that I didn't like her. She didn't like me. After all, I was the evil bitch that took Daddy away from her. I'm sure she's still pissed that Hank never told her about me and she found out all about me when the rest of the team did. The night you got shot."

"And she's hated you ever since."

"Pretty much. I tried to like her for Hank's sake, but she made it quite difficult. She even came here to my office to give me hell for marrying Hank. I told her she had to take it up with Hank and not me because I wasn't going to listen to her bitching. She didn't like that very much. Then again, she wouldn't like me even if Hank told her. I get it. I do. I'm not Camille. Camille was her mother figure."

"That's still no reason not to like you."

Jess sipped her coffee.

"Emotions aren't logical, Nicole."

"That's true. So, are we going to get some lunch? I'm still starving."

"We'd better. I hate to see you when you're really hungry."

"It's the Aries in me. We are awful when we're hungry."

"I might have to start keeping Nicole treats in my purse."

Nicole laughed and rose from the seat. "Snickers bars please."

Jess rose from her chair and picked up the coffee mug. She chugged the contents and set it down on her desk.

"So, where do you want to go to eat?"

"I'm done with classes, so I can go wherever."

"I have office hours at 3."

"Can we go to your Elks Lodge? I mean, are they open for lunch?"

"They are on Fridays. All you can eat fish & chips."

"That sounds good. Can we go there?"

"Of course we can. I can sign the book while I'm there too."

"What's the book?"

Jess hesitated. The book was one of those things you knew what it was, but it was difficult to explain.

"It's kinda like a raffle. You sign your name in the book, pay one dollar, and every night at 11, someone draws an entry from all lodge members. If you are the name drawn and you signed the book that day, or for that week, you win the money. If you didn't, the money rolls over until someone hits."

"Have you won it?"

"Yep."

"So, you take the money and it starts all over the next day at zero dollars?"

"Until someone signs, yes. Trust me. Everyone at my lodge signs every day."

"And you win."

"Every once in a while, yes. I put the money away for our vacation to Rome, but I don't think we'll ever get there."

"Because of Hank's job?"

"Because Hank is too damn dedicated to his job. He never calls out sick, and he never takes a vacation."

"That's not true. You guys went to Cleveland."

"Yeah, we did. Very expensive trips to Cleveland."

"Expensive to you because you're such a tightwad. You've got money to burn. Stop being so cheap."

Jess shot her a look. "I am not a tightwad. I'm thrifty."

"You're a money hoarder."

Jess locked her office door, then started down the hall.

"Ok, so I save a lot. That doesn't make me a tightwad. Seems to me I spent quite a bundle on Katrina's first Christmas."

"You spent too much."

"Of course I did. She's my Goddaughter. I had to make sure she had a good Christmas."

"Ok, Ok. I take it back. You're very generous. Now, are we going to your Lodge or not?"

Jess pushed the elevator button. "Yes, we can go to the Elks."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

While Jess made her way to the bar, Nicole found a table and sat down.

"Hey, Jess, you here for lunch?" the bartender asked as he set two binders and a clipboard in front of her.

"Yes. Nicole is starving. Can we have two fish & chips, 2 waters, and 2 coffees?"

"Not a problem."

Jess opened one binder and signed her name. She opened the second one and signed her name. She scribbled Nicole's name and hers on the clipboard. The guest roster wasn't anything fancy. She opened her wallet and set a twenty and a ten on top of the clipboard. She made her way to the table and sat down across from Nicole.

"I ordered us fish & chips, coffee & water."

"Thanks. Fish always makes me thirsty."

"Me too."

Jess reached in her purse and slid a pamphlet across the table.

"What's this?"

"An application for membership. You may as well join since we are here at least once a week."

"You sure they'll take me? Don't they have to vote on me or something?"

"Yes, the board votes. I've never known them to turn anyone down."

Nicole studied the application. "Ok. I'll join. But you have to tell me when you two decided you wanted to get pregnant."

Jess fiddled with a napkin.

"Shortly after Justin died. We were at the cemetery, and Hank made a comment that Erin and I were all he had left. And something inside me said that wasn't right. Hank deserves to have a family. His got taken away from him and that's not fair. There's no one to pass on the Voight name now, except Daniel, and I have a feeling Olive is going to find another husband and he will adopt Daniel. Being around Daniel and Katrina made me realize what I was missing."

"It's not all sunshine and roses you know."

She nodded. "I know that. I'll admit that the thought scares the Hell out of me sometimes."

"Here you go, Ladies."

"Thank you, Christian," Jess said as glasses of water and cups of coffee were placed in front of them.

"You're welcome, Jess. Fish and chips will be coming right up."

"Great. I'm starving."

"It'll be done soon, Mrs. Anderson."

Nicole shook her head. "How does he know my name?"

Jess laughed. "Christian knows everything."

"Seriously? How does he know everything?"

"He makes it his business to know. He's the bartender. It's his job to know what everyone eats and drinks."

"It's just creepy, you know?"

"Christian is harmless. A big flirt, but harmless."

Nicole added some cream and sugar to her coffee, then made a big production out of stirring it. "So, I take it that you're not since it's been 8 weeks since the Cubs won the Series."

Jess shook her head. "I must have miscalculated or something. I was so sure that we'd be having a baby 9 months after they won. But no such luck."

"And knowing you, you'd name him Anthony."

"No. As much as I love Rizzo, I wouldn't name him Anthony."

Nicole opened her purse and fished around for a few seconds. She pulled out an envelope and slid it across the table.

"Here. Take this. It might help."

Jess eyed the envelope suspiciously and made no attempt to pick it up or open it.

Nicole sighed in frustration. "Jesus Christ, Jess, it's nothing illegal. It's just a Novena to St. Gerard."

"You think I need to say a Novena?"

"Wouldn't hurt. I said it and the next month I was pregnant with Katrina."

Jess reached for the envelope and opened it. She quickly skimmed the novena.

"Can I keep this?" she asked.

"Until you give birth. I might need it back."

"Deal."


End file.
